Information AboutAcupressure |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT ACUPRESSURE | |
| acupuncture | |
| alternative medicine | |
| manipulative therapy | |
| traditional chinese medicine | |
| massage | |
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Acupressure (a '' Portmanteau '' of " Acupuncture " and "pressure") is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) technique based on the same ideas as acupuncture. Acupressure involves placing physical pressure by hand, elbow, or with the aid of various devices on different Acupuncture Point s on the surface of the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine does not usually operate within a Scientific Paradigm but some practitioners make efforts to bring practices into an Evidence-based Medicine framework. There is no scientific consensus over whether or not evidence supports the efficacy of acupressure beyond a Placebo . Reviews of existing clinical trials have been conducted by the Cochrane Collaboration and Bandolier according to the protocols of Evidence-based Medicine ; for most conditions they have concluded a lack of effectiveness or lack of well-conducted clinical trials. BACKGROUND Acupoints used in treatment may or may not be in the same area of the body as the targeted symptom. The TCM theory for the selection of such points and their effectiveness is that they work by stimulating the Meridian System to bring about relief by rebalancing Yin , Yang and Qi (also spelled "chi"). This theory is based on the paradigm of TCM, not that of science. Many East Asian Martial Arts also make extensive study and use of acupressure for self-defense and health purposes ( Chin Na , Tui Na ). The points or combinations of points are said to be used to manipulate or incapacitate an opponent. Also, martial artists regularly massage their own acupressure points in routines to remove blockages from their own meridians, claiming to thereby enhance their circulation and flexibility and keeping the points "soft" or less vulnerable to an attack. Attacking the acupressure points is one theme in the Wuxia genre of movies and novels. Acupressure might work via release of endogenous opioid Analgesic s such as enkephalin, endorphin and dynorphins leading to alleviation of pain. Acupressure is considered to be a safe form of therapy and side effects are rare.http://www.paralumun.com/acupressure.htm SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH A randomised trial of Tapas Acupressure Technique for weight-loss maintenance found attendance at weight maintenance was 72% for TAT Tapas Acupressure Technique - higher than any other method studied and warranting further study. This study was supported by a grant (R21 AT01190-02) from the National Center for Complementary/Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, USA. The abstract for this study can be accessed via: {Link without Title} An acupressure wristband that is claimed to relieve the symptoms of said that ''P6 acupressure in two studies showed 52% of patients with control having a success, compared with 75% with P6 acupressure''[http://www.jr2.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/band59/b59-4.html]. One author of an article published in the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine disagreed [http://www.sram.org/0802/acupuncture.html]. A Cochrane Collaboration review found that massage provided some long-term benefit for Low Back Pain , and said: ''It seems that acupressure or pressure point massage techniques provide more relief than classic (Swedish) massage, although more research is needed to confirm this.'' {Link without Title} CRITICISM OF TCM THEORY Clinical use of acupressure frequently relies on the conceptual framework of that continues to have practical relevance. Acupuncturists tend to perceive TCM concepts in functional rather than structural terms (e.g., as being useful in guiding evaluation and care of patients). NIH Consensus statement: "Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the "acupuncture points", the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial. Even more elusive is the basis of some of the key traditional Eastern medical concepts such as the circulation of Qi, the meridian system, and the five phases theory, which are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in acupuncture." Acupuncture. National Institutes of Health: Consensus Development Conference Statement, November 3-5, 1997. Available online at consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997Acupuncture107html.htm . Retrieved 30 January 2007. : ''See '' SEE ALSO
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